Processed Foods- 9 reasons that they may make you Sick and Fat!

Processed Foods- 9 reasons that they may make you Sick and Fat

To obtain optimal health 90 percent of one’ s diet should consist of whole foods, with less then 10 percent consisting of processed foods. Unfortunately, most of Americans currently do the opposite, and their health suffers as a result.

With most foods, the closer they are to nature, the better!! In most cases, the term, “processed foods” refers to those that are chemically processed and made from heavily refined ingredients and artificial additives. Such processed foods are the curse of the conventional Western diet.

• Processed Foods are High in Sugar and/or High Fructose Corn syrup

It is not only a matter of “empty calories” causing you to gain weight without getting proper nutrition, excessive sugar consumption is linked to insulin resistance, high triglycerides, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer.

Refined fructose, typically in some form of corn syrup, is now found in virtually every processed food you can think of. It is primarily metabolized by your liver, and fructose is metabolized directly into it gets stored in your fat cells, which can lead to mitochondrial malfunction, obesity, and other obesity-related diseases.

• Processed Foods Are Designed to Make You Overeat.

Your body is designed to naturally regulate how much you eat and the energy you. But food manufactures have figured out how to over-ride these intrinsic regulators.

According to the “food reward hypothesis of obesity “ processed food stimulate such a strong reward response in our brains that it becomes very easy to overeat. One of the guiding principles for the processed food industry is known as “sensory-specific satiety”.

• Processed Foods Contain Artificial Ingredients

• Preservatives

• Artificial colors

• Artificial flavors (the term artificial flavor on a label may include 10 or more chemicals)

• Texturants (chemicals that add a texture to food)

Food manufactures typically claim that artificial food additives are

Safe, but research has linked preservatives to numerous health

problems, such as cancer, allergic reactions, and more.

• You Can Become Addicted To Processed Foods

Unlike whole foods, which contain a mix of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fiber, and water to help you feel satisfied, processed foods stimulate dopamine, a fell-good neurotransmitter, making you feel good even though the food lack nutrients and fiber. This artificial dopamine stimulation can lead to excessive food cravings

and ultimately, food addiction.

• Processed Foods are Typically High in Refined Carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates like breakfast cereals, bagels, waffles, pretzels, and most other processed foods quickly break down to sugar in your body. This can lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels and can lead to carb cravings a few hours later when blood sugar levels go down again. This phenomenon is also called “blood sugar rollercoaster”.

• Most Processed Foods Are Low in Nutrients

Processed foods often have the real nutrition processed right out, then sometimes added back in the form of synthetic vitamins and minerals. These Synthetics do not provide the whole, synergistic nutrition that eating whole food will.

• Processed Foods Are Typically Low in Fiber

Public health guidelines from the US Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) advise Americans to eat between 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day, but most adults don’t even eat half that much. In the standard American diet, healthful fibers are often processed right out. Unless you regularly eat whole fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, you may be missing out on the healthiest forms of fiber available.

• It Takes Less Energy and Time to Digest Processed Foods

“Vanishing calorie density” is a term used to describe processed foods that melt in your mouth, which has the effect of making your brain think it doesn’t contain any calories and you keep eating!! i.e. Cheetos

Not only can you eat these processed foods faster, but it also take less energy to digest them. Those who regularly eat processed food may reduce the amount of calories they burn throughout the day because of this.

• Processed Foods Are Often High in Trans Fats and Processed Vegetables Oils

Synthetic trans fats are known to promote inflammation, which is the hallmark of most chronic and/or serious diseases. They are also very chemically unstable and prone to oxidation. Consuming these oxidized fats in excess has been linked to all sorts of health problems, such as atherosclerosis and heart disease.

RECIPE: HONEY- SOY BROILED SALMON

2 tablespoons reduced- sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon, rice vinegar

1 tablespoon, honey

1 scallion, minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 pound center-cut salmon fillet

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

• Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, honey, scallion and ginger in a medium bowl until honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate. Let marinade for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.

• Preheat broiler. Line with a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray

• Transfer salmon to the pan, skinned side down(discard the marinade) broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through approximately 10 minutes. Drizzle with the rest of marinade garnish with sesame seeds

Makes 4 servings

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